Conversation In The Backyard
by Citation-2
Summary: A Saturday morning conversation opens Tony's eyes, making him realize that everything he has always been looking for is right in front of him...Gibbs/Tony SLASH
1. Chapter 1

Hello all! This is a short story I wrote almost two years ago. I don't know why I didn't post it sooner, but finally its time has come. I hope you'll enjoy it.

**Conversation in the Backyard**

**By Gunnery Sergeant**

A/N: This story is set in the future. Gibbs has been retired from NCIS for three years, while Tony is still working there.

Thanks to **Finlaure** for the beta reading!

**-x-**

Anthony DiNozzo pulled up his car near a familiar house in the suburbs and smiled. He hadn't been sleeping well for the past three nights, and he had been irritable since then, but the mere idea of spending a few hours in Gibbs' company made him already feel better.

When the older man had retired from NCIS three years ago, due to an accident that had made him unfit to work as a field agent, Tony had been afraid that Gibbs would have sailed off on his boat or move back in Mexico with Franks and all but disappeared from his life. Blessedly things had not gone as he had feared: Gibbs had accepted a position as instructor at the FLETC facility in Cheltenham, Maryland and he and his former senior agent had become closer, as their friendship had evolved and strengthened.

Tony had always known Gibbs cared for him and for the rest of his team. However, the older man had never allowed himself to show him anything more than gruff affection while he had been his boss at work. Now, however, things had changed. The older man was no longer Gibbs, his boss, but Jethro, his friend—and Tony couldn't be happier about it.

Since the moment he had started working for NCIS, he had done everything he could to win Gibbs' approval, respect and affection. It felt damn good to know he had those and no longer needed to try so hard, even if he still did, now and then.

He stepped out of the car, locked it and walked toward the house. He was about to open the door when he heard a noise come from the backyard. So he retraced his steps, circled the building and walked into the well-kept garden.

Gibbs was standing by the fence, and was hammering a nail into one of the posts. There were spare wood boards piled nearby and two cans of paint. It was clear there was a major operation of repairs and repainting underway.

Tony watched as his friend moved along the fence, examining each board with his eyes and his hands. His touches were expert, confident, and strong as he tested the wood for breaks or other faults.

Expert, confident, strong: Gibbs was like that in everything he did. Tony had sometimes wondered if he was the same with women too. However he had always interrupted that line of thought quickly, because he knew it would led him to wonder how it would feel like to have that focus turned on him in that very personal way. He felt his cheeks redden and mentally head-slapped himself. What would Gibbs do if he knew the younger man sometimes thought of him in a way no one should ever think of a friend? If he knew Tony wasn't the straight-as-an-arrow guy everyone believed him to be?

He didn't want the older man to ever know it. He couldn't risk losing or ruining the most important relationship in his life.

"Are you gonna keep staring or do you plan on helping me?" Gibbs asked, his back still turned toward him.

Tony bit off his instinctive, "How did you know I was here?" and answered, "I'm not good at wood working. You know it."

"Yeah," his friend answered, looking at him over his shoulder, "but you know how to paint. The brushes are on the table."

"Okay."

Tony walked to the massive wood table and benches – one of Gibbs' first works as carpenter – picked up the brushes, and carried them to where the paint cans were.

"Where do I start?" he asked as he opened one of the cans. It contained a transparent, glossy kind of paint, probably a protective finish against rain, snow and sun.

"Start from the centre and move toward left. I'll do the other side."

"On it, Boss."

Tony liked to call Gibbs "boss", even if the older man was no longer his superior at work. To him that title had always been a way to express his respect and care for Gibbs—and it hadn't changed even now when he was the boss of his own team.

He dipped his brush in the can, coated it, shook off the excess of paint and brought it to the fence, moving it up and down along the board.

They worked in silence for several minutes, the quiet of the morning interrupted only by an occasional car driving by.

There had been a time, not too long ago, when he would have felt uneasy with the silence and broken it with movie references, talks about women or cars, or jokes—but it was in the past. Now he felt comfortable with silence, at ease with the fact he didn't have to wear his happy-go-lucky mask when he was with his friend.

After a while the older man put down hammer and nails, picked up the other paint can and brush and began painting the boards by Tony's right.

"So, how was work?" Gibbs asked as they worked side by side.

"Nothing interesting this week. Just two geniuses of petty officers who thought to make some extra bucks by selling ships' spare parts stolen from Norfolk."

"How did the team perform?"

Tony shrugged his shoulders, "McGenius was his usual wizard with the computer. Jardine is improving her interrogation skills -even if it's not easy to intimidate a suspect when you don't want to step in his personal space in order not to catch some bugs- and the probie is learning.

Gibbs grunted in approval. "Vance?"

"I haven't seen him for the whole week. He was in London, attending some security meeting."

"So he had no chances to piss you off?"

"No."

"Then you can tell me what the hell are you doing here at 0830 on a Saturday morning?" Gibbs asked, glaring at him.

He looked down at his shoes and mumbled, "I needed company."

The older man's face softened. "What is it, Tony?" he asked gently.

"Elizabeth…" Tony cleared his throat and continued, "We broke up."

His friend tilted his head and as he lowered the brush, "When?"

"Three days ago."

"I see," Gibbs turned to face the fence and resumed his painting as Tony looked at him, confused.

"Aren't you gonna to even squeeze my shoulder and say 'I'm sorry, Tony'? 'Cause, you know, that's what a friend usually does when his buddy is dumped by his girlfriend of two years…." He asked, his tone a mix of levity and disappointment.

"No."

"No?"

"No. It would be a lie. I'm not sorry," Gibbs answered, matter-of-factly.

Tony frowned, surprised. "Why?"

"Because I've seen you with her, and I don't think you were really happy with her." His friend turned to look at him, then bent down, closed the paint can, put the brush atop of it and tilted his head toward the table. "Come."

Tony did as asked and followed him to the table, where they both sat down on one of the benches.

"I've watched you with Elizabeth," Gibbs resumed as he leant back with his elbows on the table top. "I've observed you smile at her, talk with her, kiss her and I could never shake off the feeling there was something off between you two. Was I wrong?" he asked, his eyes fixed on Tony.

The younger man was shocked. He had no idea someone had ever noticed everything was not as perfect as he had wanted Elizabeth to be. All of their friends, McGee and Abby included, had always commented what a great couple they made and how happy they looked together. And yet…yet Jethro had seen the truth even he had tried not to see.

"No, you weren't. But how did you know it?"

"I know you, Tony," Gibbs said simply. "I see when you're trying too hard to please—and you've been doing it with Elizabeth, right from the start. I hoped for a while your efforts would give you what you were looking for. But when I realized it wasn't gonna happen, I began to wish this charade would end soon."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

His friend turned to face him with a smirk. "Given my track record, I'm not exactly in the position to give you advice about women…"

Tony crossed his arms over his chest. "Boss, your track record with women is far better than mine. You may have three divorces under your belt, but you also had a happy marriage that would have lasted for life if tragedy hadn't struck. I never had a relationship like the one you had with Shannon…" He ran his hand in his short hair, making it stand at the end. "Hell, the closest thing to a committed relationship I ever had, is the one I have with you. Before meeting you I never stayed in a place and a job for more than two years. I began to feel suffocated, and looked for a new town, a new job, and new people. Then I started working for you and everything changed. In October it will be twelve years since I moved to Washington—and it's all because of you. You forced me to make a commitment, to the job—and to you. I hope you know how much I treasure our friendship."

Gibbs nodded slowly, eyes intense. "Yeah, I know, Tony. And I trust you're aware it's the same for me."

He smiled and nodded. They fell silent for a while, and then he sobered and said, "Boss, you told me I was trying too hard to please Elizabeth, but was I wrong to do it? I don't want to get old alone. I want to share my life with someone. Is it wrong to try and get it?"

"Nope. There is nothing wrong with it—but you've been trying to have it with the wrong persons. You've been doing it since…hell, since I met you."

Tony snorted.

"Are you gonna tell me I have been making the same mistake too? 'Cause I would deserve it," Gibbs flashed him an ironic smile, but Tony shook his head.

"No. I'm gonna say your observations are right, but the conclusion is wrong. They weren't wrong for me—I was wrong for them. All of them."

"Or maybe, quite simply, women aren't right for you," Gibbs threw in evenly, as if he was talking about the weather.

Tony's mouth opened in shock. Was the older man really meaning what he thought he did?

His friend smirked again. "Don't be so shocked, Tony. I realized long ago, just after the end of my relationship with Hollis Mann, that there will never be another woman able to give me what I had with Shannon. So, well, I started looking for other options…and you want to hear it? I was right, I found the person I would like to spend the rest of my life with," he completed softly.

Tony stared at him, wide-eyed. Gibbs was bi? He liked men too? He was in love with one?

"Are you…" he hated how his voice betrayed him by almost breaking. He paused, took a deep breath and tried again, pleased when his tone sounded more confident, "Are you seeing a man?"

"Yeah…" Gibbs twisted on the bench to face him and said intently, "I'm seeing him a lot. I'm seeing him right now." And before Tony could realize what was going to happen, the older man leant forward and kissed him on the lips.

It was just a light contact, with no pressure behind it, but it left him shaking.

When Gibbs pulled back, Tony raised his fingers to touch his still tingling lips. His best friend had just kissed him! He couldn't believe it, it was too much!

"You love me?" he asked with a mix of hesitation and…was it hope? That was when he was again able to form a coherent thought.

"Yes. I love you, and I'm in love with you, Anthony."

The use of his full name made Gibbs' declaration even more poignant and solemn.

"For how long?"

Gibbs pursed his lips, "Long enough."

"You never said anything…" Tony replied, and he was ready to bet there was a hint of accusation in his tone.

"What was there to say? You aren't attracted to men. I didn't plan to ever tell you, but this conversation kinda prompted it."

"Boss, I-"

"Don't worry," Gibbs interrupted him raising a hand. "Just forget what happened today. Nothing will change between us." He made to stand up and walk away, but Tony grabbed him by a wrist.

"No, Jethro, you don't understand."

As hoped, the use of his name stopped the older man. Gibbs sat back and asked, "What don't I understand?"

"I like men too," Tony blurted, wanting to put everything in the open, "and I confess I've often thought of you in ways that, well, you wouldn't have found appropriate from a friend and a co-worker…"

"But? 'Cause my gut tells me there is one coming," Gibbs prodded him when Tony fell silent.

"I don't think I could make you happy."

His friend's eyebrow arched, surprised. He clearly hadn't expected such an answer.

"You've made me happy for a long time, Tony. I always look forward to the time we spend together, no matter what we do."

"Even when I make you watch old romantic comedies?" he teased, to lighten the mood.

"No one had ever made me do anything I didn't want to since I turned eighteen, and yes, I like those movies too. I like being with you." Gibbs slid closer to him, and raised a hand to caress his hair, a gentle, affectionate, not sexual gesture—the kind Tony liked most.

He enjoyed the caress with his eyes closed, and then he opened them and stared straight at the older man.

"Boss, do you remember when I said there was something wrong with me?"

"Yeah."

"Well, I'm about to reveal what Abby would call a MOAS- the mother of all secrets. Anthony DiNozzo is a fake."

Gibbs frowned, "How?"

"You all think I'm a Latin Lover, the Italian hot stud interested in getting in every breathing woman's pants or skirts. But, as the Italians say, _è solo fumo e niente arrosto*_. It means it's all appearance and no substance. Oh, I do like women and the occasional guy all right. I like to flirt and tease and make sexual innuendos—but it ends there. The truth is I'm a very poor lover and that I would rather spend the night watching movies than in bed having sex."

"Do you have…problems?" Gibbs asked quietly after a few moments of silence.

"No—at least not of the kind that can be resolved with a little blue pill. It's just that to me sex me is more a chore than a pleasure. I don't like it, I don't understand it, I don't care for it– never have and, I guess, never will."

There, he had said it—and now that the truth was finally out, Tony felt better.

"Or maybe you've just been doing it with the wrong…persons," Gibbs suggested, and Tony felt relieved there was no pity on his friend's face, just need to know, to understand, to help.

Tony shook his head. "It's even worse with men, Boss, trust me. Been there, done that. I'm gonna be blunt here, so you'll understand why I could never be a good match for you. To put it simply, I don't like anal sex. I don't like receiving it –which might not be that surprising – but I don't like giving it either. To me, it feels like a violation—and I don't want to have anything to do with it."

He squared his shoulders, readying himself for the disappointment and mocking that always came after this declaration of his. Thus he was very surprised when he saw Gibbs smile slightly and then nod.

"You aren't the only one thinking like that, Tony. I don't either."

"You too, Boss? But you're so assertive, so virile …"

"I'm- but what it has to do with anal sex? I can be as assertive and virile as I want without wishing to fuck men in the ass. Is that so strange?"

"Yes. No…I don't know," Tony tried to wrap his mind about this last bit of information, and the more he thought of it, the more his excitement rose.

He had always known that, deep inside himself, he was a follower not a leader. Even now that he was the head of his team, he often asked for Gibbs' advice or opinions. But this trait of his personality was present in his romantic relationships too. He liked his partner to be the one in charge while he took the backseat. But the problem was that women, even those as assertive and emancipated as Ziva or Elizabeth, wanted a man able to stand up to them—and Tony was not. He had tried to please them, and he had thought he had managed to do it with Elizabeth, but he had failed.

As for the men he had been with, they had been more than happy to be in charge, but they had equalled it to have him bend over every time they wanted, and he couldn't accept it.

And now…now Jethro was sitting there, calmly telling him he could have everything he wanted, everything he had looked for so long…

"Are you still with me?" Gibbs asked.

"Yes, yes I am. It's just this is a lot to take in," Tony looked at his friend, observing the way the sun made his light grey hair and blue eyes shine.

Retiring from NCIS had done Jethro well. He was tanned, fit and looked even younger now that lines on his brow – lines caused by worry, stress and all the brutality he had had to witness almost on a daily basis – had somehow smoothed, because his teaching job at FLETC wasn't as emotionally hard. The lines around his eyes were instead deeper, for Gibbs smiled and laughed more frequently now, and Tony suddenly realized most of the older man's smiles were directed at him.

He loved to make Gibbs smile and laugh…no, he loved Gibbs, pure and simple—and he had for a long time, even if he hadn't realized it until that very moment.

Tony stared straight at the older man and said with his voice full of emotion yet firm, "I love you, Jethro. You're the reason I remained for so long and refused the posts in Spain and California I have been offered along the years. Although I had never considered the possibility before, I think I could be happy with you…but, Boss, I want to give you the same happiness, and I'm not sure I can…"

"Tony, you already make me happy," Gibbs said softly. "I told you before."

"I mean in the bedroom…" he replied, blushing, but couldn't continue because the older man leaned closer and kissed him again.

This time it was a real kiss, which started sweet and gentle, but soon escalated in ardour.

Tony felt the other's tongue press against his lips and opened them, allowing him entry.

Gibbs turned more demanding as he explored his mouth and Tony responded to him with everything he received. He might not like sex, but he loved to kiss, and he was quite good at it. Even Elizabeth had said so.

They kissed for a long time, finger buried in each other's hair as they tried to get closer and closer.

Gibbs pulled back for a moment; eyes darkened by desire, then attacked Tony's neck with his lips. Tony could feel the older man's passion and let its tide sweep him away. A thrill coursed along his spine when he heard his soon-to-be-lover moan. It was nice to know he could cause that reaction in the other man, even if he wasn't doing anything.

That thought was like a bucket of cold water thrown over his head. _He wasn't doing anything_. He was just sitting there, taking the kisses and caresses bestowed on him without giving anything back. What kind of lover was he?

Tony tensed, as his previous happiness disappeared.

Gibbs, of course, felt the change and pulled his head away.

"Am I going too fast?" he murmured. "I didn't mean to overwhelm you, Tony. I'm sor-"

He raised his hand, covering the older man's mouth before Leroy Jethro 'never-apologize-it's-a-sign-of-weakness' Gibbs could complete the line.

"Don't. It's not your fault, it's mine. I'm not doing anything here. I'm just taking, giving nothing back. I…," Tony closed his eyes. "I don't want to disappoint you."

"You never disappointed me, and you won't start now. If you just trust me, I'll show you there is nothing wrong in you. I'll show you that you just have been doing it with the wrong people," Gibbs said, earnestly.

'_All those many women and men, were they all wrong?'_ Tony wanted to ask, but he decided to trust Gibbs. He wanted to believe him, wanted to believe it would be different in his arms.

So he nodded and murmured, "Yes, show me. Show me now."

I

I

*It litterally says: "There is only smoke and no roasted meat".

Please let me know what you think...and remember, reviews make me update faster!


	2. Chapter 2

**Thanks so much for the reviews! And now on with the last part!**

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Gibbs nodded curtly and said, "Okay. Follow me." He stood up and walked toward the back door of the house with determined strides, without looking back to see if Tony was following him.

He smiled at the typical Gibbs attitude and rushed to follow the older man inside the house and then upstairs, into the bedroom he had never seen during all the time he had spent at Jethro's home.

The furniture was all in wood and the dominant colours were blue and dark brown. It was strong, masculine and elegant without being pretentious.

Gibbs closed the door and stepped near him.

"May I resume kissing you?" he asked all gentlemanly, but with a hint of humour.

Tony smirked, "Of course you can."

The older man raised his hand and cupped Tony's nape. Jethro's fingers were tangling into his hair, slightly bending the younger man's head down to meet his lips. As before, the kiss started slow, with no pressure. It was like Gibbs was waiting for him to decide if and when to bring it to another level of intensity.

Feeling more confident this was actually going to work, Tony opened his lips to admit Gibbs' tongue, meeting and stroking it with the tip of his own.

Their ardour escalated quickly, and the kiss turned more passionate and demanding. When they separated, they were both breathless, their lips swollen and reddened.

"That was good…" Tony commented.

Gibbs just smiled and fingered the buttons of his shirt, a silent question in his eyes.

"Yeah," Tony breathed, as his own hands rose to attack his lover's t-shirt.

They both made quick work of their upper clothes, and soon their chests were bare to each other's gaze.

Tony hadn't seen Gibbs undressed in a long time and was taken aback by how good looking he was for a man in his mid-fifties. Gibbs had broad shoulders and was well made, his muscles defined in a lean kind of way. His chest was covered by fine grey hair that narrowed into a line that crossed his belly and disappeared into the waistband of his trousers. His stomach had softened a bit with age, but Tony's fingers twitched with the desire to caress it. The older man's skin was smooth, only marred here and there by scars, silent testimonies of all the perils Gibbs had encountered during his years as Marine and NCIS agent.

"You are gorgeous," Tony whispered, surprising himself.

"Really? I think you are more so," Gibbs said as he stepped closer, so that their chests pressed together as they kissed again, more passionately than before. Heat spread in Tony as he felt something else press against him—his lover's erection was digging into his thigh.

Tony moaned when Gibbs' hands slid down his back to briefly squeeze his ass. He broke the kiss and simply uttered, "Please."

The older man's long, nimble fingers went to Tony's zipper, opened it, and pulled the fabric down.

Tony felt no shame when his erection sprang free—he quite liked the way Gibbs was staring at it.

"You are hard…" the older man murmured with intent.

"Uh, well, yes," he replied, perplexed. Gibbs wasn't the kind of man to make such dumb comments.

Gibbs' eyes flashed as he said, "It means you do like sex, Tony. You just need it to be good sex- and I'll give it to you."

Tony's eyes widened in surprise. Overwhelmed as he had been by the fact he was going to make love with Gibbs, he hadn't realized how quickly he had become aroused. Usually it took much more than a few kisses to get him to be up for action…but not this time.

Gibbs smirked when he saw the understanding dawn on the younger man's face, then turned around and removed his sweat pants and boxers, folding them on the nearby chair, as Tony got rid of his footwear and lowered pants.

When Gibbs turned to face him again, Tony's heart skipped a beat.

Gibbs…Jethro was magnificent, all tanned skin and lean muscles, powerful and yet graceful.

His legs were strong and well shaped but for his left knee. Injured during an explosion in Kuwait back in 1991, it had occasionally bothered his former boss since then, but never so much to be a problem on the job. However, three years before, he had re-injured it when he had thrown himself in front of an approaching car to save a child from being hit. This time the damage had been extensive; the ligaments had been torn and the surgeons in Bethesda had had to reconstruct them. They also had to implant a ten centimetres long plate and several screws to fix the broken bones. It had taken Gibbs six months to return to walking without a limp, and even now, thirty months later, the knee still looked a bit swollen.

Tony shook his head to push away memory of the terror he had felt when he had seen Gibbs jump in front of the fast approaching car and concentrated on more pleasing things, such as his-soon-to-be-lover's cock. It was thick, probably thicker than his own, and very hard, arching toward the older man's belly.

He reached out to brush it, and it was Gibbs' turn to moan, very low and deep into his throat. The younger man found the sound very arousing.

"Let's get comfortable," Gibbs murmured and Tony nodded, moving to the bed.

They lay on the mattress, side by side, facing each other. They embraced, hands sliding around strong backs as the front of their bodies pressed together, and they kissed again.

Tony loved the feel of Gibbs against him. He was both hard and soft, the skin hot and pleasant to the touch, his burning erection causing a thrill when it brushed against his own aroused cock.

They kissed for long minutes, and then Gibbs pushed gently at Tony's shoulder, encouraging him to recline on his back.

"Let me know if I do something you don't like," he said, before he posed a line of kisses across his chest.

The younger man's "Yes" was lost in a moan when Gibbs' hot mouth engulfed one of his nipples, sucking on it delicately. Tony raised his arms, treading his fingers in his lover's silver hair as he pushed his head harder against his chest.

Gibbs worked Tony's nipples for a while, and then moved his mouth lower, leaving a damp trail of kisses and licks as he slid down across his abdomen.

By the time he reached his erection, the younger man was almost hyperventilating. He knew what Gibbs was about to do and his excitement increased to a dangerous degree. He just hoped he wouldn't explode at the first touch on his cock.

Gibbs looked for a moment at Tony's cock, as if he was trying to decide the best way to proceed, then he used his hand to steady the shaft, holding it up so he could gently lick its head.

Tony whimpered in delight. Some of his previous lovers had done this to him, but it was so much more erotic with Jethro.

Gibbs explored Tony's cock with his tongue, licking the vein on the underside and the slit at the tip. Then, when he thought he could take no more, his lover fit most of his erection into his warm mouth and sucked.

Tony moaned and clutched at the sheets, his knuckles turning white.

"Jethro," he panted, a plea and an encouragement.

Gibbs bent over him, pushing his hips to the mattress to prevent him from bucking too much, and kept on sucking him, adding the press of his tongue along the shaft to the suction. Unable to hold out any longer, Tony came with a yell, his orgasm intense.

When it was over, he slumped on the bed, exhausted. He panted, eyes closed as he tried to calm down his breathing. When he finally opened his eyes, he saw his lover's face hovering over his own.

He raised his still trembling arms and pulled the other man's head down for a kiss. He found it exciting to taste himself on Gibbs' lips and tongue; his other lovers had always pulled away before he came.

"That was good…" Tony murmured when the kiss ended.

"I'm glad you liked it," Gibbs answered, his voice a little breathy, his pupils so dilated the blue irises were almost invisible.

Tony suddenly remembered Gibbs still needed to come.

What would he want to do next? Tony tensed in concern. Would he expect reciprocation? And if so, would he be able to take him in his mouth and give him the same pleasure he had just experienced?

"Shh…don't worry so much," Gibbs soothed, running his hand up and down his arm. "I won't do anything you are uncomfortable with."

"Yes…but I want you to feel good too…"

"And I will…just trust me. Let me do all the work."

Tony nodded and watched curious as Gibbs stretched atop of him, using his elbows and knees to keep most of his weight off his body.

The older man guided his cock between Tony's thighs, and then used his hands to press them together and thrust once, tentatively.

"Is this okay, Tony?" he asked, breathlessly.

Tony nodded, sliding his hands along Gibbs' back as he tightened his legs as much as he could to provide the friction his lover needed.

Gibbs moaned in approval and thrust again and again, his movements gradually gaining speed and rhythm as his pre-come slickened the channel between Tony's thighs.

The younger man watched with avid eyes as Gibbs laboured over him, his movements as fluid as the tide of the sea, but hot as molten lava. He enjoyed how the older man's heated breath fanned gently across his collarbone, and the feel of his lover's well-muscled back flexing underneath his hands.

"Tony," Gibbs whispered, and closed his eyes. His body shuddered and then warm liquid spread between Tony's thighs, and his lover sagged against him.

Tony tightened his embrace around the older man's back and lay there, feeling more content than he ever had in bed with anyone sprawled across him. For a few moments he didn't even mind the sweaty, sticky weight, and when he did it only took a little nudge for Jethro to roll away.

After a while Gibbs sat up and looked down at him, "You all right?" he asked.

His slightly slurred voice made Tony smile. "Perfect. This was very nice…"

Gibbs grinned. "Ya think?" Then he sobered and nodded. "Yes, it was very nice indeed." He flopped back to recline on the mattress with a loud, contented sigh.

Tony closed his eyes, feeling boneless. He usually rushed to clean up and get dressed after sex, but today he just wanted to bask in the afterglow. What he had just experienced was fantastic. They seemed to be really compatible, both in and out of bed, and he wondered what the future would bring for them.

"I can hear the wheels turn in your head…" Gibbs grumbled, rolling onto his side as he raised his head with his elbow. "What is it?"

"Nothing…just wondering about what happens next."

Gibbs looked at him thoughtfully, "Whatever you want to happen. We can carry on as we have done for the past three years, just adding…more personal activities…to the list of things we do together or-"

"Or?"

"Or you can move in with me and we can really start spending our lives together."

"Isn't it a bit soon for that?" Tony asked, as his heart started beating faster. Living with Jethro as partners…it was such a mind-blowing idea…both scary and exciting…and so very appealing.

"As I see it, it's not that soon. In a way, we have been dating for the past three years, even if we weren't aware of it…" Gibbs replied his eyes intent as they stared at Tony.

The younger man thought back at the past three years. At the weekends spent at the marina helping Gibbs finish the new _'Kelly'_ and at the trips they had taken on the boat, with the older man trying, not too patiently, to teach him how to sail. The afternoons spent touring tool shops and wood stores, watching as Jethro chose what he needed to build the furniture for Abby's new house; their shopping trips for Christmas, when they had bounced ideas off each other as they looked for the right presents for their friends. At the football games they watched together and at their quiet dinners afterward. At their visits to Shannon and Kelly's graves and at the strange emotion Tony felt as he listened to Gibbs as he told him about them, because he knew he was the first person the older man had trusted with his most precious memories since his loved ones had died. At the evenings spent at his apartment, watching movies as Tony told Gibbs how Gary Cooper and James Stewart had been his best friends as he grew up, the son of two parents that couldn't find time to spare for their only child….

Even if they had spent less time together than Tony had with Elizabeth, they had learned about each other, they had understood each other and been there when one of them needed the other.

Tony's eyes widened: Jethro was right, they had been dating for years, and they had never realized it. He had been so busy keeping his mask up he had not seen what was straight in front of his nose, while Gibbs had probably kept a tight hold over himself in order not to reveal what he really felt for Tony.

They had been two idiots- but no more.

Now they knew what they had and Tony was not going to let it slip from his grasp.

He smiled up at Gibbs, who was still looking at him. "You're right, we've been dating and this is really the time to move our relationship to another level."

"Good. We'll start packing your stuff today—after we finish with the fence."

Tony smiled at the commanding tone. Gibbs would never change, and it was a good thing, because he liked the older man exactly how he was.

"So we're gonna live together… Can you imagine what people like Vance will say?"

Gibbs shrugged. "I don't really care. I've never minded what people said about me and in time you'll learn to do it too."

"Will you teach me?" Tony asked.

"Nope. This is something you can learn only on your own."

"But you'll teach me to love sex, huh?"

Gibbs smirked, and his blue eyes flashed. "You think I can teach you that?"

"Yes, I'm pretty sure you can. Knowing your determination and stubbornness, you'll teach me to like it, to love it, to crave it and then…"

"Then?" Gibbs prodded, tilting his head.

"Then you'll grow old and lose interest in it!" Tony completed, flashing a big, toothy, impudent grin at his lover, a moment before said lover head-slapped him.

"Shut up, DiNozzo!" Gibbs growled, glaring at him.

"Shutting up, B-"

The rest of Tony's line was muffled by Gibbs' lips as his mouth was captured in a hard kiss. He wrapped his arms around the older man's back and gave himself up to his lover's attentions, eager to start their second lesson at lovemaking.

THE END

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A/N: Time ago I made some researches about gay sex and relationship and found a post on a forum where a gay man commented slash fiction. Among the many things he wrote, he said that in fan fiction stories there is a great, perhaps too great, insistence on anal sex. He said that perhaps it was due to the fact the writers are mostly females and that they were probably influenced by gay movies, which, as all p**n, don't give a true representation of what normally happens in a bedroom, but are more about transgression. Then he explained that a gay relationship is not synonymous of anal sex. Being in a gay relationship means to appreciate the male person as object of attraction and love, no matter how they are expressed. He then said many couples seldom or never practice anal sex but find other ways of lovemaking and went on explaining some of them.

Of course, because things are seldom black or white, another poster replied to the guy above telling him he was an idiot and that being in a relationship meant to fuck as rabbits and that slash fiction was too tame or too focused on feelings and emotions, while instead it's all about sex.

I guess these guys were both right and wrong, and that the truth is far more complex.

Anyway, that first post on the forum gave me the inspiration for Tony and Gibbs' preferences in this story. I hope you all enjoyed it! Let me know what you think and stay tuned for more Tibbs stories!


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